Asian Games 2026 | 'We will certainly put them under pressure...': Mike Hesson on a potential clash with India

Mike Hesson (Pic: X/@ICC)

In the ongoing Asian Games 2026, Pakistan's cricket team's head coach Mike Hesson said that Team India is the benchmark in terms of white-ball cricket.

"India are the benchmark in terms of white ball cricket at the moment and our challenge is to catch up to that," he said in Karachi ahead of the team's departure.

The "Men in Blue" have won back-to-back World Cups and are also the defending champions at the continental event. Since the time Hesson has taken over the role of Pakistan's head coach, the side has faced defeats on three occasions in Asia Cup 2025 and one in T20 World Cup 2026.

Team India and Pakistan have never clashed against each other at the Asian Games, but are likely to face off in the semi-final on October 1. Speaking about the likely face-off with the Indian side, Hesson said that Pakistan will try to put the "Men in Blue" under pressure.

"We are certainly preparing as best we can and if we get an opportunity to play (India) we will certainly put them under pressure like we did in the final of the Asia Cup," he said.

"There is a lot of cricket to be played between now and being able to play in the semi-final for both sides (Pakistan and India), so we are not getting too far ahead of ourselves," added Hesson.

Pakistan will first meet the winners of Pool B, comprising Hong Kong, Oman and Malaysia, in the quarter-final on September 28. Pakistan has never won a medal in Asian Games cricket, and has suffered a loss in the bronze medal match in 2010 and 2023. The side did not compete in 2014.

On the other hand, India has sent a full-strength team for the continental event. Pakistan's team has a combination of youth and experience and will be led by Sahibzada Farhan.

Asian Games 2026, India and Pakistan: Full squads

India's squad: Shreyas Iyer (C), Tilak Varma, Abhishek Sharma, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Shivam Dube, Ishan Kishan (WK), Vipraj Nigam, Axar Patel, Ravi Bishnoi, Sanju Samson, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Washington Sundar, Yash Thakur.

Pakistan's squad: Sahibzada Farhan (c). Abdul Samad, Ahmed Daniyal, Akif Javed, Ali Raza, Arafat Minhas, Haider Ali, Hasan Nawaz, Maaz Sadaqat, Mohammad Wasim, Saad Masood, Saim Ayub, Sufyan Moqim, Usman Khan.

(With AFP Inputs)